Sarah HendersonAfter coming off a hot offensive performance and series sweep of Florida this past weekend, the Rebel bats had a slow start but came back to beat Southern Miss 11-2 in Pearl on Tuesday night.
A strong sixth inning and multiple errors from the Southern Miss defense combined to help push No. 10 Ole Miss to the win. The Rebels scored 10 runs in the final three innings to win its fifth straight matchup against the Golden Eagles.
Down 1-2 with only one hit going into the bottom of the sixth inning, the Rebels started to turn things around. After three straight walks and a fielder’s choice by Cole Zabowski to score a run, it seemed Ole Miss had regained its momentum. With the play of the game, freshman Knox Loposer doubled to left center field later in the inning to score two runs. Chase Cockrell followed that up with a line drive to bring Loposer home and put the Rebels up 6-2 at the end of the sixth.
Loposer stepped up behind the plate in place of Cooper Johnson, who was suspended for arguing with the umpire in the last game. In his fifth start of the season, the Jackson native had 2 hits and 3 RBIs, his season high.
Ole Miss scored their 11 runs on 7 hits. Six of those runs were from defensive errors.
Tyler Keenan hit his 49th RBI on the season by hitting a double in the bottom of the seventh to score Grae Kessinger. Keenan leads the team in RBIs with Thomas Dillard behind him with 34 RBIs. Southern Miss had 9 hits but only 2 runs scored. The Golden Eagles stranded 11 runners, seven in scoring position.
Zack Phillips got the start for the Rebels and pitched 4.1 innings. He retired 9 consecutive batters going into the fifth inning, including four straight strikeouts. After a single and a double to start off the fifth for the Golden Eagles, Austin Miller came to the mound. After intentionally
walking the next batter to load the bases, Miller struck out the next two batters to get out of the jam.
Phillips ended the day with 9 strikeouts, his game high this season. Miller pitched 1.2 innings, struck out 3 and earned the win.
Tyler Myers and Gunnar Hoglund also saw the mound. Myers came in relief for Miller and
pitched 1.1 innings, only giving up 1 hit and 1 walk. Hoglund took over in the eighth inning and closed out the game. He retired all five batters he faced.
Looking for another SEC series sweep, Ole Miss will face Kentucky in Oxford this weekend.
Kentucky is currently ranked last in the SEC with a 2-10 record in conference play.
